


Much ado about nothing

by under_stars



Series: Ivar/Reader Various Works [3]
Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: A little angst, Angry Ivar, Cheating accusations, F/M, Much Ado About Nothing, Partner Betrayal, Reader Insert, Shakespeare Inspired, Violence, unnecessary drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:01:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24099253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/under_stars/pseuds/under_stars
Summary: You and Ivar have been happily married for some years now, but when your enemies conspire against you, your relationship- and love- will be put to the test.Inspired by Shakespeare’s play Much ado about nothing.
Relationships: Hvitserk/Thora (Vikings), Ivar (Vikings)/Reader, Ivar (Vikings)/You, Ivar x Reader - Relationship, Ivar/Reader, Ubbe/Torvi
Series: Ivar/Reader Various Works [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741789
Kudos: 112





	Much ado about nothing

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by Shakespeare's play 'Much Ado About Nothing' and a little bit from his other play 'The Winter's Tale'. 
> 
> Warning: Throughout the story harsh accusations are directed towards the reader. Please bear in mind that it is only for the sake of the plot, but if you are triggered by words such as whore, then I would advise you to proceed with caution. 
> 
> With that said, on with the story!

“I want to be king of Kattegat.”

Harald tossed his empty cup of mead to the ground and stormed out of the great hall. He had come to Kattegat at the request of Ivar, who was king now. They had matters to discuss and the air of authority that Ivar projected had infuriated Harald. It was him who should be king of Kattegat. No one else.

His brother, Halfdan, followed him outside. “I know, brother. You must be patient. One day we will conquer it, but now is not the right time.”

“I know! I wait and wait! But you know what, brother? I can’t just stand there and do nothing!”

Halfdan raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Do you not see, brother? I am not meant to find joy in peace. I am and always have been a plain villain!”, he passionately hit his chest with his fist, “I need to destroy something, I need to cause mischief! That is what gives me true joy.”

Halfdan looked around and chuckled. “Well, if it is mischief that you so seek, I have something to suggest.”

Harald gave a feral growl. “Then say it!”

Halfdan motioned to the entrance of the great hall with his head. Harald turned and saw you and Ivar exiting, hands intertwined. He cast a glance at his brother and gave him a wicked smile.

“Suppose this marriage was destroyed. What then?”

“He loves her. He will be weakened. Then we can strike, Harald.”

Your laughter echoed from the distance, joyous, unsuspecting. Harald rubbed his hands meaningfully.

“And strike we will, Halfdan, strike we will.”

...............

The day had begun beautifully. The sun was shining brightly, the weather was warm and pleasant. You had woken up to the sound of birds singing and laughter was heard outside your room. You had smiled widely and had turned around to cuddle with Ivar, who was still asleep. Nothing could have prepared you for what it was to come. Nothing at all.

It was supposed to be a special day, for only a week ago you had discovered you were with child. The occasion called for nothing short of a celebration, for you and Ivar had always wanted a child. Both of you had been trying- and hoping- for a child ever since the night of your wedding. Years had passed and your belly had not grown not even once and Ivar’s hopes had started to crumble, though the thought of giving up had never crossed your mind. You and Ivar had married when you were both very young, so you knew that you had many years in front of you, enough to bear a sea of children. Indeed, now it was just the beginning, you were only carrying your first child. Both of you could not be happier.

Ivar had insisted he should announce the joyous news to his people and amidst your happiness, you had not opposed him. You were well aware of how much this meant to him, the fact that he could prove to the world that he was able to produce heirs. He had organised a feast and was very eager to share his happiness with the world.

But when he woke up that day, he was oddly grumpy. And cold, that is. He had shoved you away and when you had asked him what had happened, he only responded that his legs were in pain. He had begrudgingly denied your offer to help him and had left the room in a matter of minutes. You had remained on the bed for some time afterwards, dumbfounded, but you tried not to think of it too much. Perhaps he had had an unpleasant dream or the meeting with Harald Finehair and the other chiefs of Norway had gone contrary to his expectations.

During the rest of the day, however, his behaviour had not changed and that had greatly alarmed you. He was clearly avoiding you and whenever you two collided, he would come up with an excuse to urgently depart. Of course, this was not the first time Ivar had behaved in such a childish way, for every time you two had an argument, he would treat you coldly or even harshly. Ivar was no easy man and you had learned to cope with his antics and accept his flaws. You knew that love meant to compromise and you had never let Ivar’s bad temper influence you negatively. He always came back to you apologizing for his ill-tempered behaviour and admitting his mistake. Your love always came out on top.

But you could not help but grow worried. Why was he acting like this? Was it something you had done that angered him? You only hoped it would not ruin the feast, his- and yours- special day.

You were currently seated uncomfortably next to him, your elegant (F/C) dress, which was too tight around the waist, made you feel suffocated. The great hall was filled with people from all over Kattegat, merchants, warriors, villagers and with other chiefs from all over Norway, such as Harald Finehair and his brother, Halfdan the Black. You deeply disliked Harald, for you could see how power-hungry he was, but you fancied Halfdan, with whom you had talked several times during his stay. Ivar’s brothers were also there, Ubbe with his wife and your dear friend, Torvi, and Hvitserk with his lover, Thora, by his side. Your father was among the crowd as well, openly admiring his dear daughter who had become a queen. You had always been close with your father, since you were an only child and your mother had died young. He had put every effort in raising you well and he was beyond joyful to see you married well and happy. If only he knew what tragedy was about to befall you that night.

You did your best to look calm and cheerful during the feast, but as the the time of the announcement approached you grew more anxious. Ivar did not talk to you once, despite your desperate efforts to make him open up. He sat next to you, stiff as a rock, focusing his attention on others or on his plate. Torvi, noticing your uneasiness, had sent you a questioning look but you had dismissed her worries with a smile. Perhaps it was you that was overthinking the situation, maybe Ivar was just nervous and would not dare show it. Upon realizing this, you placed a tender hand on his arm and much to your relief, he did not shove it away. You smiled widely. Yes, everything would be alright.

Ivar raised his hand to impose silence in the hall. He made one of his usual empowering toasts, though his voice ringed peculiarly harsh when he shouted ‘Skol’. Cheers and laughter sounded in the hall, people reveling in the celebration they had yet to learn what it was for. Ivar finally turned to face you in the eyes and what you saw startled you. His deep blue eyes, intense and loving in other times, were now cold. Wrathful. Mad with revenge. He extended his hand to your direction and you thought that he would reach for your hand, but instead he grabbed hold of your wrist. He grabbed one of his crutches and stood up. The hall had grown quiet once again.

“People of Kattegat”, Ivar loudly called to his people, “we are gathered here today for a very special occasion”, he stole a glance at you, who were still sitting on the throne, “I have to share some very important news with you.”

He turned to your father. His hold tightened on your wrist and you winced in pain.

“Egill”, he shouted, “years ago you gave me your daughter, (Y/N), so generously and I thank you for that.”

Your father stood up and bowed his head. “It is me who is grateful, my king, for you have made her happy.”

Your wrist was throbbing. “Ivar”, you weakly whispered to him. “Ivar, it hurts.”

He ignored you. He still faced your father. “Yes, Egill, but what do I have do give you in return for this jewel?”

“Ivar!”, you whispered, your heart racing in panic. Where was he going with this? What was he doing? “Ivar!”

“Nothing, my king, I need nothing in return”, your father answered humbly.

“Well, whether you need something or not does not matter, for I am giving her back!”, Ivar shouted in fury, as he yanked you off the throne and violently threw you down the steps. You fell down with a thud, tears already fogging your vision. A sob escaped you and you remained lying on the ground, motionless, in shock. Gasps and shouts filled the hall. Ivar sprang to your direction like a man in battle. Wild. Possessed by rage.

“Take back your precious whore, Egill!”, he roared as he seized the crown from your head and snapped it in two, “Because that is what she is, a whore!”

You screamed as he grabbed your shoulders and shook you violently. Your father had paled. He was speechless. The hall was a whirlwind of applause, shouts, indefinite chatter and even some laughter.

“She is no queen, but a whore! She crawls from bed to bed and then returns to mine, tainted but blushing innocently!”

“No!”, you managed to shriek as he pulled your hair and threw you to your father’s feet. You moaned in pain and placed a hand your belly instinctively. Your father did not move, as your maid, Magnhild, Torvi and two others rushed to you for support.

“You say nothing, Egill, you say nothing! But you have given me nothing but a shameless whore! She carries a bastard child in her belly, which she attempted to pass off as mine! She wanted to dishonour me but I will not allow it!”, he roared. You screamed in terror as he made a move to strike you, only to be held back by his brothers.

“My king, I have given you my daughter as pure as the gods have given her to me! I swear on my sacred arm ring!”, your father shouted, having found his voice, “Is there any proof for what you accuse her of?”

“Of course there is, Egill, of course there is! There have been witnesses to her shameful deeds!”, Ivar responded.

“I am no whore!”, you shouted from the top of your lungs, “Ivar, I have never-“

“And I am one of them!”, Ivar interrupted you, “Do not deny it, you bitch!”, he spat, “I saw you with my own eyes! And so did my brothers!”, he motioned to Ubbe and Hvitserk, who were still holding him.

“Is this true, Ubbe?”, Torvi asked, as she held you in her arms. Ubbe nodded solemnly, so did Hvitserk.

“We have seen it too”, the latter admitted reluctantly.

“It cannot be”, you yelled, “I am innocent! Torvi, do not listen to them!”.

The noise in the hall was deafening. You could feel the strength leaving your body. Your face was sticky with sweat and tears and you were trembling with fear and shock. This could not be happening. It was not true. You were innocent, you were innocent!

“And you, Harald”, Ivar pointed at the wicked-looking man, “have been seen with her! Do not deny it!”

You breathed a small sigh of relief. You and Harald had never even spoken to each other, he would deny this accusation, your innocence would be proven. Harald stood up.

“I don’t deny it, king Ivar, it’s true!”

“No!”, you cried, appalled, “Lies!”

Harald turned to the howling crowd. “Queen (Y/N), came to me last night! She went down on her knees and begged like a dog!”, he laughed menacingly, “She said that her husband’s bed is not warm enough for her liking, she said she wants more than she is given! She begged for pleasure like a whore!”, the angry crowd was howling still and Harald turned to Ivar, whose eyes were dark with shame and pain, “Forgive me, Ivar, but no man can refuse a begging woman on his bed! I only obeyed the Queen!”

You gave an incoherent scream of protest but no one paid attention to you anymore. Ivar spread his arms in the air.

“People of Kattegat! I have showed you what I had to show, the filth that I call my wife! Now tell me, what shall I do with her now?”

People started ululating suggestions but you could barely distinguish a few. And they were enough to make you sick.

“Kill her now!”

“Have her burned!”

“Let us have our turn!”

“Have her imprisoned with the dogs!”

Your stomach twirled, your throat burned, your head throbbed, your heart was torn. You had lost your voice. “I have been wronged...It’s not true”, you moaned weakly, but who could have heard you through this violent commotion?

Ivar kept encouraging the crowd to rage with him. And even though it was the first time you had been scared to death of him, you understood him. He was not mad. He was heartbroken. For he thought had been betrayed by the person he loved the most. You.

And you felt the same way.

After the noise died down a bit, he sat down on the throne tiredly. He motioned to two guards.

“Have her locked in a cell. We will decide her punishment tomorrow.”

“Ivar!”, you managed to cry, and though your voice was feeble, he heard you, “My love, I am innocent!”

He turned his head away coldly. “Harald you are pardoned for involving yourself with this whore”, he pronounced the word so harshly that all your remaining energy was sucked out of you. You felt as though you had been stabbed in the heart.

You closed your eyes, as you felt yet more tears slide down your cheeks. The guards grabbed you violently and you could hear some protests uttered by your maid, Torvi and Thora. But you knew it would go a long way towards nothing to resist.

And in that state you were dragged out of the great hall, half-unconscious, frightened, wronged, betrayed. And perhaps, no longer loved.

.................

The guards threw you in a tiny cold cell, inhabited only by rats and insects. You shrank away in a corner, hugged your belly tightly and let your pain flow out of you. You wailed in rage, sadness and fear, as you recalled the events that had just enveloped in front of you, the crude accusations that had been spat at you and your husband’s burning gaze of hate and broken love.

You did not know what would happen to you now. No one seemed to believe you. You had been publicly humiliated and accused by your own husband. You were not certain of your future now. Ivar could be the cruelest of men when he was in pain. And he was in so much pain now, oh so much pain.

But there was one thing you were sure of. Your innocence. You had never been with another man, only with Ivar. You have always been faithful and loving, how could have Ivar believed such false accusations about you? You had always shown him nothing but love and devotion, how did he dare to accept such cruel rumours so quickly? But how had he asserted that he had seen you, if you had not done anything?

Not only had you been wrongly accused, but belied as well. Someone had prudently planned it all, someone who wanted to see yours and Ivar’s happiness crumble to pieces, as well as the Kattegat you have built together.

And then it dawned on you. It was Harald. Why else would he accept the accusation of having slept with you? Why else would he make up such an awful story about you begging for the warmth of his bed and touch? He had somehow tricked Ivar into thinking he had seen you with him. And Halfdan was part of the plan, for he had distracted you with his talking. What a fool you had been! And what a credulous fool Ivar was!

You went on sobbing in desperation. There was no way anyone would believe you if you claimed such things. Ivar was irrational when angry and everyone was convinced of your unfaithfulness. Your father, Torvi, Thora, Magnhild, Ubbe, Hvitserk, the people of Kattegat and Ivar...they all despised you now. You had no one’s support.

Ivar...you had always been so much in love with him and he had returned that feeling with the same passion. You had had you fair share of fights, arguments, doubts and insecurities, but you had fought past these tribulations to come out as winners. You always dreamed that you would grow old with him, watching your children achieve even greater things than you two could ever think of. Was this how your love would end? Was this the world your child would have to face, when it would be born? If it was ever allowed to be born in the first place...You feared that Ivar, blinded by his wrath, would condemn you to death.

You heard the metallic door open and a feminine silhouette came and knelt in front of the bars of your cell. You did not move, too tired to do so.

“(Y/N)?”, a voice asked softly. It was Torvi. You and her had been friends since you were little girls and you had always supported each other through thick and thin. It had been you who had helped her cope with her separation from Bjorn and it had also been you who had urged her to admit her growing feelings for Ubbe.

You did not answer, waiting to see if she would support you.

“(Y/N)”, she called again, “I know you are awake”, she gripped the bars with her hands, “And I also know you are innocent”, she said quietly.

You raised your head ever so slightly. “You believe me?”, you asked faintly, just to be sure.

You could see her small smile under the dim light of the cell. “I do not believe you. I know you. You would never do such a thing. And no one with enough sense would sleep with the damned scoundrel that is Harald.”

Despite the weakness that you felt, you giggled. “It is true. It is all his doing, you know.”

“Certainly. He hates us all to death.”

You crawled to the bars and put a hand over hers.

“But I cannot prove this, Torvi, neither can you. I am doomed”, you muttered bleakly, as your crying resumed, “I cannot have this child in a world where people see me as nothing but filth. I cannot have this child believed to be a bastard, when it is Ivar’s blood and only his blood! I cannot live in a world where I have been wronged!”, your desperate sobbing shook your whole body.

Torvi hugged you as normally as she could through the bars. “We will find a way to fix this, (Y/N), we will find a way. Wrongs are always righted.”

“How was my father? What did he say?”, you managed to stammer between your sobs.

“He was furious. He flew into a rage. I am sorry.”

“If I survive Ivar’s wrath, I certainly will not survive my father’s!”, you cried.

“Ivar won’t have you killed.”

“He will!”

“He won’t”, Torvi insisted, “He loves you. He won’t bear it.”

“He will! And then he will mourn me for the rest of his life, his whore wife whom he loved!”, you lamented.

While you were crying, more people were let in. Thora, your maid Magnhild, who looked especially pale, and another slave of yours.

“Why do they allow so many people in?”, you asked through your tears, though you felt a little bit stronger now that more people had shown their loyalty to you.

“You are a special prisoner”, Torvi chuckled and you smirked slightly. You looked at Magnhild who had shrunk in a corner, her knees drawn to her chest. She seemed terrified and in deep thought. Perhaps she was questioning whether she ought to stay loyal to you.

You rubbed your belly tenderly. “I might never get to know if you are a girl or a boy, little one...”, you whispered bitterly.

“Don’t say that. Your innocence will be proven”, said Thora, who had heard you. She was a nice, honest girl with a good mind. You only hoped Hvitserk treated her as well as she deserved.

Silence engulfed the room, only your small sobs were heard. Suddenly the door opened with a loud bang and a man stepped in with force. It was your father. He rushed to your side angrily, growling, pushed Torvi and the others aside and before you could crawl away, he seized a handful of your hair and pulled you violently.

“You shameful child!”, he yelled, “You have dishonoured me! I, who made every sacrifice possible to raise you well and with dignity! I, who gave you the love of both a mother and a father! I, who gave you to the man of your choice! And you, wench, let it all go to waste, because you can’t keep your legs closed!”

“I have been wronged, I have been wronged!”, you cried in protest.

“You have turned our name into filth! You should die!”

You gave a piercing scream and closed your eyes shut as you waited for the fatal blow to come.

But it did not.

“No!”, someone yelled. It was Magnhild. She had thrown her body on your father to prevent him from attacking you. She was crying.

“It is all my fault! It is all my fault! He took me to his bed, I willingly went with him! And during it he called her name instead of mine!”

Silence prevailed, as all the people in the room attempted to process her words. Your father had let you go.

It made sense now...Harald had seduced Magnhild, who had the same hair colour as you and almost the same hair length. If seen from afar, she could have easily been mistaken for you and if Harald did call her by your name during their...time together, then anyone could have been taken in.

“Is this true, Magnhild?”, your father inquired, his voice hoarse from all the yelling, “Has my daughter been unfairly accused?”

Magnhild nodded. “As true as your daughter’s innocence.”

Your father raised his eyes and met your gaze.

“My child, you have been wronged...”, he extended his hands and cupped your face. You noticed that his eyes had grown moist. “Forgive me for not believing you sooner, (Y/N).”

“Father”, you cried with him, “of course I forgive you...I would never cast dishonour on our name nor have I forgotten how much you sacrificed to raise me. I swear I am innocent. The child I am carrying is Ivar’s and only Ivar’s.”

When your crying had ceased, you father spoke again.

“We must find a way to set this right. I will not have my daughter nor her child suffer the cruel fate of a condemned person.”

"But what shall we do?”, you breathed heavily in exhaustion, “they will never believe us.”

“Then we shall make it a bigger situation than it already is”, it was Torvi who had spoken, “You must die, (Y/N).”

You glanced at her in pure horror.

“No, not in reality!”, she laughed, “We must send word that the accusations have been too much for you to bear and that you died from your grief. Then we will put Magnhild to confess to Ivar. Thora and I will talk to Ubbe and Hvitserk and convince them that we know the truth. It will not be too difficult. And then we must find at least one more witness to validate our story.”

“What part does my supposed death play?”, you asked dubiously.

“If your innocence is proven- and it will be, I am sure- then Ivar will suffer a great guilt and pain.”

“And that serves us how exactly?”

Torvi smirked wickedly. “It will teach him a very good lesson of what life is without you, (Y/N), as well as show him the destructive results of not having enough faith in your wife.”

“You think that he never had enough faith in me, Torvi?”, you asked, offended.

“He did, (Y/N), but he was too quick to jump into conclusions and act irrationally and pompously. He must learn from his mistake. So, would you like to give it a try?”

You hesitated. She grabbed your hand tightly through the bars.

“You must die to live, (Y/N)! Do you not want back your life?”

You trusted Torvi, though sometimes you thought she was too daring. But you had nothing more to lose, other than the pitiful remnants of your wounded dignity.

But you could not care less about your reputation now. You only wanted to save your marriage- and your love. And your unborn child.

You agreed. And so forward you marched...to your death and, hopefully, your redemption.

..............

It should not have been like this, none of this should be true. It was not in your character to be unfaithful, to betray the love you two had shared. But as much as it pained him, Ivar knew that it was true. He had seen you with his own eyes, he had witnessed your unfaithfulness and Harald had accepted the accusation.

It was true. You had failed him. You had been with another man, one of your most bitter enemies to be exact, and who knows how many others you had welcomed in your embrace? How many others had you lied with in the shadows, how many had reveled in your affection and touch? Ivar shuddered at that thought, the thought of countless men having explored you so carnally, so intimately. He could not bear it, he just couldn’t. And worse, he had seen it.

After the meeting with the chiefs of Norway you had parted ways, he went to talk with his brothers and you said you were heading to your shared chamber. And what a naive fool he had been to believe you! He had kissed you goodbye and he had promised to follow you soon, but the night had soon enveloped to be long and tiring, for his brothers had been very much displeased with the decisions that had been taken at the meeting. At one point Ubbe had briefly departed and had returned pale and nervous.

“Do not overreact”, he had said to Ivar, “but there is something you must see.”

Ivar had felt his heart hammer against his ribcage, as his brother led him and Hvitserk, who had followed, near your bed chambers. He did not know why, but some strange instinct was warning him that something bad was going to happen. He had soon learned that it was more than bad.

For it was the utterest and bitterest of betrayals.

There in the window of your bed chambers, where you and him had had your most intimate and tenderest moments, you arched your back and let yourself be ravaged by none other than the despicable Harald. He was moaning your name and you were moaning his.

That had been too much. He had almost sprang to your direction then and there but his brothers had pulled him away before he could have done anything.

“Don’t! Not now! You must confront her later when she is least expecting it!”, Hvitserk had exclaimed and it was then that Ivar had decided what he would do.

He would make you pay. He would make you feel as much pain as you had made him feel. He would humiliate you for your betrayal, for your treachery. For your endless lies. How could have he fathomed that under your innocent disguise lied a treacherous pit of lies and pretense? Gods...was the child you carried even his? Ivar felt sick at the idea, his rage took over him. Of course it would not be his if you jumped from bed to bed! He would take revenge, he would make you pay twice and thrice the price of your adultery.

Controlling and hiding his wrath for a whole day had been an even greater tribulation. He was tempted countless times to grab you by the hair and force you to confess. And if this had not been enough, you kept pretending you cared, chasing after him, looking upset by his behaviour. Who could have known you were so good at lying.

He should have known you were too good to be true.

He had done it. He had accused you in front of his people, he had unleashed his rage and pain and hatred. He had called you a whore, despite the bitter taste the word left in his mouth, he had broken your crown, thus ending your marriage and he had declared your child was a bastard. All in front of the people of Kattegat, your friends, your father. Poor man, Ivar pitied your father, for he had seen how genuine his shock had been. Apparently you had lied to him too.

You had denied everything of course, but your assertions meant nothing. Ivar had proof and witnesses, you were clearly a plain and shameless liar. He could not trust anything you said anymore, although he wished he could. He wished you were innocent. He wished he could unsee what he had seen or go back in time and prevent himself from meeting you. It would be so easier now. There would be no pain. No betrayal. And no heartbreak.

For even though he had shamed you and he had avenged his wounded pride, he had not enjoyed it, how could he? It hurt. It hurt so much to know that your love was fake, a mere performance, a facade. And he, ever a tomfool, had loved you. Truly and earnestly.

“Brother?”, a manly, cautious voice shook him out of his depressing trance. He was still sitting on the throne, drowning in his pain. He raised his head and saw Ubbe, Torvi, Hvitserk and his lover, as well as your trusted maid and your father. They all looked tired and grim.

“What do you want?”, he inquired bluntly with a broken voice.

“Ivar, I am sorry”, Torvi took a step forward, her voice small and nervous. From behind her, Thora and your maid sniffed. Your father looked as stiff as ever, teeth gritted, fists clenched.

“You are sorry for what? That my wife is a whore?”, he spat. He did not need their pity.

“She died, Ivar. The accusations were too much for her to handle and she died”, Torvi murmured and broke into a soft crying. Ubbe put a soothing arm over her shoulders.

Ivar’s heart missed a beat. He paled.

“I don’t understand”, he breathed.

“You killed my child!”, your father came forward, his voice harsh and raspy, “You falsely accused (Y/N) and she died because of it!”, it was his turn to spit.

The ground was shaken beneath Ivar’s feet. It could not be. He stammered for a moment but soon recovered. He should not care. You were no longer his wife, you were no longer tied to him in any way.

“I did not accuse her falsely, Egill”, he growled, “My words are true, for I am a witness and so are my brothers! And Harald himself admitted their relationship! She died because she got discovered!”, he screamed at your father.

“No!”, your father shouted back, “That is not true! My daughter had been touched by no one but you! You killed her with your words, my king, both her and the child!”

“The child is not mine and (Y/N) is tainted! Accept your daughter is a whore, Egill, accept it!”

Your father made a move as if to attack but he backed down.

Ivar banged his chest with fury. “Are you scared, old man?”

“I am not scared of you, my king", your father muttered, wiping the sweat off his face, “I have fought next to your father, Ragnar, countless times. But it is not a fight that I seek but justice.”

“Then kill your daughter, old man!”

“You did that already, my king. But justice will prove my daughter’s innocence. We have a witness too.”

Your maid was brought to him, she was trembling and her expression was one of terror.

“This girl, my king, is a living testimony of my daughter’s innocence. Speak, Magnhild, speak in the name of justice!”, your father urged the frozen girl to speak.

And as she spoke, Ivar discovered something horrifying. That Magnhild looked a lot like you. Similar hair and posture. Gods...Magnhild confessed that she was the one who had slept with Harald that night. That he had addressed her by her Queen’s name during their meeting. That he had lied about being with you.

Ivar gaped. It could not be true. The world was ending. These were lies.

“You cannot prove this to me”, he howled, “There is no one to validate your story!”

“Why, you incredulous foo-“, your father started.

“-I can”, a smooth voice was heard and a man emerged from the shadows. Everyone in the hall gasped in astonishment. It was Halfdan.

“I validate her story”, he went on, “it was all my brother’s planning. He slept with Magnhild here and planned it carefully so you could be deceived, Ivar. I was there when the idea came to him.”

Your father stormed towards Halfdan. “And why the change of heart? Why do you betray your brother?”

Halfdan shrugged. “I admit I liked his idea at first. But it got too far”, he fixed his gaze on the floor, “I heard about Queen (Y/N)’s death, I am sorry. It should not have resulted to taking an innocent life."

Ivar, who had stood up due to his outrage, plunged in his seat. Speechless. Flabbergasted. Defeated.

"Is this true?", he asked with such a feeble voice that he was barely heard.

"I swear it on my sacred arm ring. My brother conspired against you and the late Queen. He has now fled from Kattegat."

Ivar buried his face in his hands, tears already sliding down on his face. You were innocent. You had been ruthlessly belied and unfeelingly accused. And he had fell for it all, how easily had he been taken in! He had hurt you and humiliated you publicly and worst of all, he had denounced your child. Your precious unborn child...

"(Y/N)...", he whispered sorrowfully, "my love, my wife! It can't be..."

He had killed you. He had killed you both. All because he was a damned insecure fool. The mere thought of you leaving your last breath in a dark cell, overcome by grief and pain, tears staining your beautiful face, tortured him. You had died believing that you had lost his love. But now he had lost yours because you would never return. Never again would he see your bright smile, your shining eyes, never again would he hear your cheerful laugh and your sweet voice. Never again would you embrace him tenderly and caress him softly...never again would you kiss him lovingly and express your love. Never again would he be able to love.

He raised his head slowly. His expression was heart-breaking.

"Egill", he addressed your father, stammering, "can I...can I see her?"

"I am sorry, my king, but I cannot allow it. You disgraced her to death", your father answered calmly but bitterly. Poor man. He had loved you dearly.

"I must...I must compensate somehow then. Choose your revenge! Demand what you want given! Anything, Egill, name any possession and I will have it given to you!", Ivar cried with remorse. It was the first time his brothers had seen him behave like this. Expressing sorrow, showing compassion. Trying to be kind.

Your father smiled sadly and bowed his head. "I cannot ask you to make my daughter live for my daughter is the most precious possession I ever had. Her happiness was my happiness, her death is my death. Nothing can substitute for her loss", he stated.

"Surely there must be something-"

"-Except from one thing."

"Name it, Egill."

"My brother, Knut, has a daughter very much alike my dear (Y/N) but she remains unmarried. She might lack the virtue my daughter possessed, but their looks are uncannily similar. I only ask you to wed her in honour of my dear child. That and acclaim to the people of Kattegat how innocent (Y/N) was when she died."

Ivar remained wordless for a moment. He did not want to remarry, you and only you would be the holder of his love. But he felt inclined to ease the old man's pain. He had to agree, albeit reluctantly.

"Tomorrow night I shall mourn your daughter and my queen. I will announce that she was wronged and that she was innocent. And the very next morning I will wed your niece", he announced quietly.

"Agreed. Tomorrow night then."

"Tomorrow night."

...............

There was a funeral. Ivar lit the fire himself and and cried bitterly for his lost love in front of the curious eyes of his people. And as he had promised to your father, he acclaimed your innocence. He explained the conspiracy. And his people cried with him, for even though they had been ready enough to accept vulgar rumours about you, they had loved you since you had been a caring and generous Queen. They cursed and condemned Harald for his treachery but asked for Halfdan to be spared, for he had shown some sort of good spirit in validating Magnhild's story.

And the very next morning, after he had mourned you, Ivar set with a heavy heart to marry your cousin. The ceremony would be very simple and only a few people were to attend, because it was not a time for celebrations and feasts. Not that it was a time to get married in the first place. But Ivar had accepted Egill's proposal, because he had wanted to punish himself for his unforgivable mistake. If you had suffered until your last moment on account of him, then he should suffer a lifetime for the pain he had caused you. And his suffering would be to marry someone who would remind him of you for the rest of his life. But it would not be you. And that is what would hurt the most.

He waited for the bride to arrive, woebegone, exhausted. His whole life had turned upside down in a matter of a few days. He had lost the love of his life, his dear unborn child, perhaps the faith of some of his subjects and now he was getting married again to a stranger. A stranger from the past, that is. He wondered just to what extent your cousin looked like you. But even if she was an exact copy of you, she would never be able to replace you and the love that you had given him. Never.

His bride arrived at the threshold of the great hall, dressed simply, veiled and followed solely by your father. The small crowd made way for them so they could reach Ivar and the man that would officiate the ritual. Ivar eyed the veiled woman as she came to stand by his side, and to his surprise, she had the same height and carriage as you.

Your father spoke. "Today I bring my niece to be married to you, my king. She stands as a second daughter to me, so I beg of you to give her the happiness you once gave to my daughter."

"I swear on my sacred arm ring that I will cherish the gift which you have given me, Egill", Ivar spoke quietly, making an effort to master his voice, "I will never make the same mistake again", he added and turned to his bride solemnly, "Sweet girl, let me hear your name and see your face", he said in a low voice.

"Not if you do not swear to be her husband here and now", your father interjected.

"I swear to be your husband, sweet girl, if you like of me", Ivar uttered in a firm voice, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible. His heart throbbed in pain. He still remembered the day you and him had gotten married. It had been a wonderful day. Both of you had been so happy. If only you knew that your happiness would be cut short by a few slanderous tongues.

"I will never stop liking of you, king Ivar", a sweet voice sounded from behind the veil and Ivar froze. Gods...it could not be. "For when I lived I was your other wife, and when you loved me you were my other husband."

A pale hand grabbed the veil and pulled it away. Ivar was thunderstruck. His heart missed a beat. It could be, oh, it could be.

For you stood in front of him, safe and sound, smiling sweetly.

Gracious all-father, he was probably dreaming.

"(Y/N)...", he managed to stammer.

You made a move forward and grabbed his hand tenderly. Ivar reveled in the familiar soft touch, too astonished to react.

"A part of me died while the slander lived. But now that it is gone, I live again. As surely as I am innocent", you placed his hand on your belly that had grown only a little, "As surely as this child is yours."

It was you. You were alive. In front of him. In flesh and bones. He was not dreaming, no.

He almost fell to his knees, as he abruptly closed the gap between you to embrace you as tightly as he could. He kissed your eyes, your cheeks, your mouth. Just to be sure it was his love.

Cheers sounded from the small crowd and your father had tears in his eyes. So did you. So did Ivar.

.............

You were currently sitting on the soft sand at the coast of Kattegat, Ivar's head on your lap. It was nighttime now. After your reveal at the fake wedding, the news that you were alive had spread as quickly as the wind and many of your subjects had gathered to take in your sight. For you had risen from the dead.

Now as you were cradling Ivar on the coast, you had finally managed to be alone, just the two of you. Well, the three of you to be exact.

When you finished explaining to him Torvi's plan, he laughed and commented on how wicked Torvi could be sometimes. You had expected him to get angry at what an additional fuss you had made with your supposed death but he stayed silent. Perhaps Torvi had been right. He had learned a lesson that would leave a lasting impression on him. Maybe this tribulation was not for nothing. For it brought you closer to each other.

"I really thought I had killed you", he said suddenly, breaking the silence that had occurred, "and I could not bear that thought. The thought of killing two innocent souls...you and the child...", he murmured and a tear trickled down his cheek. You wiped it with your thumb and caressed his cheek. Ivar could be such a fearsome man in battle. But when in fear he shrunk and became softer, like a small scared child. You smiled.

"But you didn't, my love", you whispered.

"What would have happened if no one had come to your aid? If no one had believed in your innocence? I think I would have killed you...with my own bare hands", he grimaced, that painful thought flashing in his mind.

"We will never know what might have been, Ivar. Now it is important to only look ahead", you gave a meaningful glance at your belly.

"How could I have believed such horrible claims about you?", he stared deep in your eyes. You could see the guilt that lingered in his. "Will you ever be able to forgive what I said about you? Will you ever forgive me?", his voice wavered.

"There is no doubt that I will. I will forgive you. For our love will always come out on top."

Always.


End file.
